Heidi Faith, SBD Founder
I’m just a girl!
With a background in social work and counseling of abused and at-risk youth, I became pregnant with my first child and felt my calling shift to clinical perinatal psycho-spiritual therapy and birth support work.
As an Emergency Services Chaplain and certified Grief & Loss Coach, I completed my studies through the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary and am a member of the American Academy of Christian Counselor’s (AACC) Grief, Crisis and Disaster division.
I hold certificates through Cascade Christian Childbirth Association in birth education and labor support and am a member of the International Christian Childbirth Coalition. As a double certified crisis pregnancy counselor in pre- and post- abortive counseling, I began the Newborn Adoption Doula Network, which provides birth support to families experiencing the transition of fostering or adoption. I have received additional training through Kansas City Hospice and Palliative Care, and Hospice Foundation of America’s Hospice Clergy End-of-Life Education Project.
My long term goal is to open Stillbirthday Palliative Birth Center.
I serve as a women’s mentor at my church, as a Maidens by His Design Instructor as well as a Director of Mentoring for Blessing God’s Way. Contact me to teach the young ladies in your life about maidenhood.
Stillbirthday is the legacy of my fourth child, who died and was born in the first trimester on April 19, 2011. You can read pieces of my journey.
I am an international speaker, and am available for educational and inspirational speaking engagements; you can contact me at Heidi.Faith@stillbirthday.info.
While I might be considered the President and CEO of stillbirthday, I am a member of Christian Childbirth Services LLC and stillbirthday is one of its services. All of the stillbirthday executive team are voluntary participants and are not members of Christian Childbirth Services LLC. More than anything, I’m just a girl, and, we’re all in this together.
Stillbirthday has been endorsed by:
- Dr. Laura Schlessinger
- Dr. Julie Wood
- The Dunamas Counseling Center
- Bob Foust and Friends
- Above Rubies
- Doula Match
Stillbirthday has been featured:
- Huffington Post
- Kansas City Star
- Smithville Herald
- Progressive Parenting
- Birth Without Fear
- Brio Birth the inspirational Polly Perez
- Charis Childbirth
- The Doula Mentor
- CAPPA 2012 “Bridging the Gap” Conference by nurse, author, public speaker and “family centered care” advocate Polly Perez.
- Earth Mama Angel Baby
Stillbirthday has earned:
- the number one place in Babble’s Top 100 Blogs of 2012
- Readers Choice Award from Birthing Naturally
- finalist for several awards including WEGO Healthcare
Stillbirthday is a member:
- Pregnancy Loss and Infant Death Alliance
- National Home Funeral Alliance
SBD University Faculty & Student Development
Lauren Bishop, Chief Services Officer
The Chief Services Officer (CSO) develops processes, strategies and tools, both internally and externally, for producing maximum value both to the stillbirthday doula team and to those who utilize its services. Because of the fluidity of our human resources team, the CSO is an umbrella designation that may integrate additional roles that aren’t at the time delegated or yet successfully filled. These can include: Director of Volunteer Services (“Lead of Leads”), SBD Doulas Regional Director, and Speaker Trainer, all voluntary roles.
The Director of Volunteer Services “Lead of Leads” supervises selected individuals who are SBD alumni and who agree to help the students establish dialogue with one another and become familiar with the session and the training contents. The establishment of a Lead team structure that can be evaluated, duplicated, monitored and revised as needed has been an arduous commitment and Lauren’s volunteerism to the journey of this project has literally transformed the overall learning environment, satisfaction of students, and the satisfaction of SBD doulas eager to extend a loving encouragement toward upcoming SBD doulas.
Lauren Bishop is also the founder of Ethan’s Hope Doula Services, serving families globally from Georgia, with a special emphasis in serving families who are facing the diagnosis of Anencephaly. Click over to our Connect with the CSO page to learn more about Lauren.
Paula Foster R.N., B.S.N. Nurse Planner, SBD U Training Content Developer
Paula Foster provides ongoing oversight to the SBD U curriculum contents and the session environments, ensuring the most conducive exchange of academic material and learner experience.
You can contact Paula at PaulaFoster.SBD@stillbirthday.info.
Jennifer Mull R.N., B.S.N., Training Content Developer
Jennifer Mull helped shape the original SBD U training as it was first made available in 2011. Jennifer has years of experience in providing bereavement mentorship both to mothers and to medical professionals. Author of internationally published “What_if_I_Miscarry_revised” Jennifer’s personal and professional ambition is to see mothers experiencing babyloss at any point in pregnancy to receive compassionate, affirming, and holistic professional care. In her role as Provider Care Director, Jennifer oversees all of the Provider Care content including the SBD professional birth & bereavement training, and is available for workshops and lectures in medical professional conduct and care prior to, during and after pregnancy and infant loss.
You can contact Jennifer at JenniferMull@stillbirthday.info
Student Leads
As part of our Student Support program, currently enrolled students (from time of registration) can seek their assigned Student Lead team member or the CSO or Heidi Faith for support. The team member will notify either Lauren Bishop or Heidi Faith, who will also connect with the student and who will make the final determination toward the most successful outcome of the situation, taking into consideration the best reflection of our registration and enrollment standards, which can be navigated from our FAQ and Student Support pages from our SBD doula registration page.
Provider Care Team
Members of the Provider Care Team {also called Doula Advisory Team} serve as mentors to our credentialed doulas and to other professionals. Our Provider Care team are seasoned Student Leads and have a demonstrated ability to fulfill this important role. Offering a structured program that consists of a once a week email for up to a period of 3 months, as part of our Provider Care program, our Provider Care Team offers a support system for professionals like no other.
SBD is about… connection
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Global Connection Ambassador
Lauretta’s naturally encouraging and genuinely engaging personality reaches right into any individual’s inherent need for connection, providing a safe place for each of us to explore and to grow. Lauretta offers professional mentorship to birth & bereavement professionals (including Heidi!) through our Provider Care program, while offering support, encouragement and validation to families and professionals alike through our SBD Network resources. Creating new programs and campaigns designed to foster networking and encouragement to other professionals and to parents alike, while maintaining a supervisory role within the SBD Network, Lauretta’s thoughtfulness, compassion, her enthusiasm to hearken healing and her passion to honor the unique journeys before each of us, brings a true sense of community to the families we serve and brings a true sense of sisterhood to our doulas and professional team.
You can contact Lauretta at LaurettaClay.SBD@stillbirthday.info
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SBD Local Representatives
Local Representatives are individuals who collaborate within their State support to bring necessary connections between geographically similar but culturally diverse areas. Local Representatives commit to identifying needs in the areas of awareness and support and to establishing opportunities to fill those needs. SBD Local Representatives are highly motivated, innovative, resourceful individuals who have good communication skills and have excellent follow through. SBD Local Representatives are SBD doulas who are connected with local resources and are a point of contact in connecting needs with those who can serve them locally. Because of this unique role, SBD Local Representatives can be great sources of mentorship, validation and encouragement for area SBD Doulas and Speakers. If you’ll like to become a Local Representative and are a credentialed SBD doula, please connect with your State Representative and let them know that you’ll like to be considered. This role is available to receive a Letter of Recommendation after being maintained successfully with a demonstrated ability of the tasks outlined above for a period of 6 months or longer.
SBD State Representatives
These are SBD doulas whose role includes holding a private group on facebook for your state, rallying support for local fundraisers and events, “adopting”/sponsoring any students on the sponsorship list from your area, and serving as a great mediator for the area SBD doulas. SBD Doula Connect groups on facebook are moderated by the State Representative and their delegated assistants (Local Representatives) and are open and maintained per the discretion of the State Representative. The State Representative serves as a sort of gatekeeper of the state group, ensuring that those seeking support who may have found the page are connected with the support needed while still maintaining the professional and confidential environment of the group, which is SBD Doula only. Please visit our SBD Teams page to access the listing of official SBD State Representative online groups.
SBD Regional Representatives
These positions are held by our professionally trained SBD doulas, and help in part by overseeing the progress and programs of their Local and State Representatives. Regional Representatives help plan and promote workshops and other public awareness opportunities in your region.
- {open position } (Region:Midwest US)
- {open position } (Region: West Coast US)
- Rose Quintilian, SBD (Region: North Eastern US)
- Lauren Bishop, SBD (Region: South Eastern US)
- Carmen Schultz, SBD (Region: Canada)
- Claudia Bolz, SBD (Region: Europe)
SBD Safety Liaison
SBD is about… collaboration
Stillbirthday Birth & Bereavement Diversity Team
& Speakers Team
If you’re interested in having a dynamic speaker present about birth & bereavement support at your next event, just visit our Speakers Team start page!
The SBD Birth & Bereavement Diversity team is a gathering of individuals who feel authentically inspired toward becoming part of such a group. We do not solicit, target or seek out individuals to represent any niche aspect of birth and/or bereavement. The niche aspects of birth and of bereavement are plentiful and expansive, and we do desire to support every individual facing birth and/or bereavement. Our Birth & Bereavement Diversity team representatives do not suppose to be a single spokesperson for any niche aspect or demographic; rather, each humbly submits that there are many voices and perspectives within any such niche aspect, and the individual is inspired yet humbly drawn to represent with integrity, love and honesty as many of the facets of the niche aspect they individually feel inspired to serve and represent. It is to speak with, not to speak for. To be considered for our executive team, you must demonstrate depth of understanding in the ethnic, cultural, faith-, philosophy-, psychospiritual, specific/niche birth aspect (such as multiples, surrogacy, teen mother, etc.) or other based group you are representing, including documented training and exposure.
We also hold a growing section of cultural and religious bereavement resources, with opportunities for you to join our news team to write on a particular subject, or provide mentorship to other bereaved parents who share in your unique and special demographic.
The Diversity Team
- Kelly Gerken SBD, founder of Sufficient Grace Ministries, with emphasis in Christian faith
- Kristina Friedlander, with emphasis in Islamic faith
- Diversity Specialists are SBD Doulas with specialized understanding within birth and/or bereavement.
“Supporting birth diversity means that, as a birth doula, I must be ready, willing, and able to support mothers and their families who are going to experience a wide array of labor, delivery, and birth outcomes. This means that I must examine my own personal values and expectations surrounding labor, delivery, and birth in order to determine what kind of birth scenerois am I comfortable with versus what kinds I may need more soul searching or support in being able to successfully be there for those families who choose (willingly or not) those outcomes that give me pause. It is crucial that I support these mothers and their families in a way that is free from judgment or bias in any way and remain professional, compassionate, intelligent, articulate and strong for the sake of these families during their birth experiences. ” -Allison Havemann, SBD student
The SBD Doula. Support for birth in any trimester.
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Other
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Please read the stillbirthday vision, which includes our mission and goals.
- Executive Team
- Social Media Team
- News Team
- Prayer Team
- Doula Advisory Team (mentors to our doulas and other professionals)
- SBD Mentors
- SBD Doulas & SBD Chaplains
- Lactation Professionals
- Forum Moderators
- Love Cupboard coordinators & Legacy Swaddle “angel gown” seamstress teams
Melissa D, Chair of Personal Relations
After learning that her daughter had died due to a missed miscarriage at 18 weeks, Melissa left her doctor’s office with zero resources to help her cope with the grief, anger and confusion of her loss. Determined to find a community where she could express her feelings and talk with other women who would understand her feelings, she set out on an extensive search for groups, websites and communities online that would help her. She was amazed by the amount of groups available but, she also quickly realized that not all resources were the same. In her role as Chair of Personal Relations, Melissa co-leads our SBD News Team. Melissa wants to ensure that other women are provided with positive resources as they try to work through the most painful experience that any parent can ever have to face.
You can contact Melissa at Melissa.Day@stillbirthday.info
There is one more Chair of Personal Relations positions available.
Shanon P, Chair of Communications
Shanon helps maintain the feedback reply communications and overall helping bereaved mothers and loved ones navigate the website and obtain the information and resources they need when they need them. Because Shanon handles the immediate needs of stillbirthday visitors, you can reach her at communications@stillbirthday.info
Chair of Marketing/Customer Relations
This role will help promote sponsors and advertisement for and with stillbirthday. There are three Chair of Marketing/Customer Relations positions available. If you are interested in filling this role, please contact Heidi Faith
Franchesca Cox, Website Designer
By creating our wonderful design of stillbirthday, Fran, our Director of Beauty and Functionality, has shared with us a lovely piece of the beautiful mess her eldest daughter, Jenna, left behind.
Growing Opportunities
Know of a position not listed? Want to help SBD? Read about the SBD vision and ways you can get involved..
Tell us your idea and why you’d be a great match for our team!
All of our positions here at stillbirthday are voluntary, non monitary roles. We simply have a heart to use our own experiences to help hurting families.
